Barren
by ClassyClassic16
Summary: Day 56 in this world. Day 56 without human contact, without good food, without shelter. Day 56 in the pouring rain, in the muddy forest. Yet today, she feels the gaze on her back. Rated M for what may come.
1. Act 1: In Which A Shelter Must Be Built

**I wrote another story... I'm sorry... I just get ideas and I feel I have to get them out there. Everything should be updating soon...**

**Have a great week.**

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The excessive amount of rain that had been coming down the past few days was unbearable. Everything she owned was soaked to the bone, the meager shelters she had managed to put up lying broken and wet in the muddy pits. Tree leaves and pine needles clung to her muddy legs as she waded through the forestry area, finding a clear patch of grass in the middle of the grove of trees. The wet grass caught on her bare legs, the mud and rain squelching under her steps as she caught a glimpse of the broken space-craft at the side of the clearing.

Looking into the small pod, she determined that it wasn't radioactive, nor likely to blow up. Crawling into the metallic body, Maura exhaled, pressing her back against the metal of the cavity. The shuttle was void of food and dry clothing, the human or alien life that was in here before clearly wiping all rations. She pulled a handful of the berries from her pocket; although crushed, they still had nutrients. She couldn't feel the smeared berry juice on her face from the wetness of the rain, curling into a tighter ball as a clap of thunder and a jolt of lightning shook the heavens above and ground below.

"Why am I here?" Maura whispered to herself, the words echoing in the metal body. She was the team's doctor; not an attack strategist, not a weapons expert, a doctor. She didn't know how to survive well in such an alien territory. This wasn't even her base ship; that had been destroyed when the tide came in. "What happened for me to deserve this."

She slowly took off the cloak hanging around her shoulders; in reality an oversized towel that she had managed to grab, and hung it in front of the opening, the rain now pelting the thick cloth and the smell of mildew overpowering the small container. She coughed harshly, moving aside a small portion to inhale the scent of the rain-soaked grass, the sounds of the rain on the metal driving her mad, lulling her to sleep.

-.-.-.-

Maura climbed out of the metal container, surprised to be alive after such a night. The lack of human contact was something she was once pleased with, but isolated on a planet was another story. In place of the ever-growing white noise, she spoke to herself. Poetry, excerpts from medical journals and novels, or asking herself questions, diving into her never-ending subconscious. "Today, I will make a shelter!" She screamed to the wilderness, wishing for a voice to answer her. Getting out of the forest area should be the first priority; goodness knows what animals lay in wait for the hunt here.

Gathering broken branches as she wandered through the forest, she wondered which way it was back to the beach. Judging by the position of the sun, she was walking through the forest eastward bound, trying to avoid any contact with animals that might be carrying a disease. She shouldn't be afraid of death; the afterlife would only provide her with companions, but she clung to the hope that she would be rescued here.

Climbing over logs, the medical pack on her back still, she had the towel wrapped around her shoulders. Her loose jumpsuit covered the t-shirt and track pants underneath. She hadn't brushed her teeth properly in months, maybe years, she wouldn't know. Showering was the rainfalls that came more and more frequently. She had yet to experience a major snowfall, which was probably for the best.

Coming to a river, Maura fell to her knees and drank. The water was cool against her itchy throat, following the stream downriver should empty into an ocean. This could be what could lead her out of the dark forest, something out of nightmares. Walking steadily with the course of the river, she could hear the lapping of waves. Looking up at her surroundings, she noticed the forest thinning, dirt paths cutting through the trees, remnants of what must have lived here.

She knelt on the sand, looking out at the lapping waves. This wasn't an ocean, but a large lake. The waves weren't large enough, the water wasn't as cold. The tide streamed in, hitting her at the knees and she dipped her hand in the cool fresh water. It could be radioactive, but judging by the color, it was unlikely.

"Help!" She cried to the open air, wishing someone would hear her. "Anybody! Help me!" She screamed, her throat raw from yelling. Looking down at the sand, she scooped up a handful, fully knowing that sitting here and feeling sorry for herself would do nothing.

She began to build a shelter.


	2. In Which A Noise Is Made

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**Hope everyone has a good week**

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Maura sat by the waning fire, her jumpsuit itchy while it dried, wet from the hand fishing. She ate the fish slowly, savouring the meat that she hadn't tasted in so long. Looking out across the darkened lake, she looked up at the sky, seeing the thousands of stars in the blackness. Her space-craft had been up there, crashing down on the unknown planet. She had been in that black empty space, seeing this planet at a distance before the engine began to malfunction and the crash landing was imminent.

She looked out at the black lake, the stars twinkling on its waters. Her ship had created a stir in the natural calm when it landed. Her makeshift fishing rod fell, creating another stir in the waves lapping softly, and she felt no need to go forth and get it. Pulling more berries from her pocket, she crushing them, the juice spilling down her chin and onto the jumpsuit, not that it would stain the black fabric. She yawned quietly, the light already creating a disturbance in the environment.

The little shelter sat beside her, made of rock and wood. How she had managed to drag all the materials to the beach was beyond her ability to comprehend. She sipped to water, looking out in the direction of the forest, the trees swaying in the night wind. The shelter was a poorly made teepee, the large towel covering the opening, larger stones as a foundation. Inside was a ground of leaves, sand much too itchy to get a comfortable sleep one. This shelter had to last for more than a week, because she couldn't survive much longer scrounging in a forest.

She looked over the black water, thinking about what it would be like to be home again, in her large house in another galaxy. She closed her eyes, feeling the fire's warmth beat against her face and chest, remembering her fire place in her mansion, imagining her tortoise on the floor beside her as she read. All the books that were the on the shuttle were destroyed upon impact, and the warmth on her face became overbearing as she thought back to how she was burning as they entered the atmosphere.

The shuttle was burnt, her colleagues were burnt, she plummeted through the ring of fire eating the ship straight into water, moving before it fell on top of her. Her hands ran over her neck, feeling the roughness of the burn scars from the flames that managed to lick her as she fell. She sighed, trying to not think about that. She shouldn't have volunteered to go on this mission; that was plain as day. Volunteering for such a risky explorative mission wasn't something she typically did, but this was crazy.

"Does anyone know what it's like to be alone in such a large world?" She spoke to the open air. "Do they know what it's like to be truly alone? No one is here, no one is just across the pond. There is no other human being in the galaxy. I am alone. I will live alone. I will die alone on a barren planet." She scooped up sand, and tossed it into the fire, trying to snuff out the flame. Maura closed her eyes, wanting to feel another human's touch.

With an unusually cold gust of wind, she felt a presence behind her. She hair whipped around wildly as she turned, thinking someone was staring directly at her. Brushing strands from her eyes, she looking into the blackness of the field, unsure of what she would do if she did see a dark shadow in the middle of the area. Turning back to the fire, she pulled the hood on the jumpsuit over her head, looking back into the flow of the fire.

"Maybe Bass misses me." She spoke loudly, as though she were speaking to the presence around her. "Maybe my parents miss me; maybe, because I'm gone, people realized I was there. I didn't have friends, I had colleagues but maybe the still realize I was there." She twirled an extra piece of driftwood in her hand, "I wanted to do so much more with my life, and now I'm going to be stuck on this planet for the remainder of it."

Maura chuckled softly. "I wanted to marry someone, to have children, to teach them. I wanted to be a mother that paid attention to their kids; I wanted to be the mom I never had. Maybe I could've been something…" She trailed off, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Turned around quickly, she looked back at the open field, a fistful of sand pouring through her fingers. She tossed it quickly onto the fire, shoving more and more onto the burning embers before they tapered out.

Sliding inside her shelter, she relaxed a little, hearing another clap of thunder crack outside. She groaned, wishing she had a pillow to toss over her head. More thunder and lightning cracks slammed the sky outside, but between the noises, she heard something. A whirring, a high pitched squeal and a large crash that shook the ground, although she couldn't tell if that was thunder or something else. She curled into a tighter ball, closing her eyes, preparing for imminent death.

-.-.-.-.-.

Smoke filled her lungs and she coughed as she stood, grabbing the medical pack and towel from the shelter. She rushed outside, looking at the field of burning embers, the blue sky clouded with smoke. She screamed, running into the water with her possessions quickly, unsure of how the forest fire would be put out without so much water. Shivering in the chilly water, her feet wet, her hair wild, she stared at the open burning field, wondering what had made such a large bang.

It would be futile for her to try to put it out, so as she stood in the knee deep water, wetness infiltrating her boots, she watched it burn. She knelt down, scooping up wet sand from the bottom of the water, letting it flow through her fingers as the field charred. She held tightly to the medical pack, the towel around her neck like a cape. Slowly, she drew lines on her face with the sand, hearing about how Natives back home used to do it protection and strength. She needed that now more than ever.

All the while, she felt as though someone was looking.


	3. In Which A Visitor Is Met

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**Have a great day everyone!**

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Maura trudged out of the water, clinging to her medical pack, shaking like a leaf from the freezing temperatures. The only shelter she had managed to build was destroyed, and the temperatures were dropping. The fire had finally hit the dirt in the field and as another rainstorm rolled in, it had extinguished. Every inch of her was trembling as she eased herself out of the water, coughing furiously from the smoke clogged in her lungs.

The stars were bright in the sky, and she gazed around the yards of dirt, seeing charred pieces of tall grass lying every few meters. Staying on the beach would do her no good, and she threw over her hood, gasping as the water trickled down her forehead. It must've accumulated in the fabric as she was walking out of the crystal water. "Can anyone tell me where to find a cave or some sort of shelter?" She asked the open air, coughing forcefully again.

A shrill scream pierced the open field, and her heart nearly stopped. She looked around the dimly lit field for the cause of the loud noise, but found nothing. She threw the towel over her head, peeking out from the edges of it as she ran through the mud back to the wet sand. Tripping over a branch, she landed face down in the inches of mud, the brown substance filling her mouth and nostrils. Hoisting herself onto her elbows, she spat it out, coughing. She was a wreck, an utter mess trying to survive.

The high pitched scream called out again, and she covered herself in the towel, clutching her medical bag like a teddy bear, waiting for the noise to pass. She could feel her feet sinking in the mud, the rain pelting down on her still, but she didn't move. She felt a fast breeze pass over her, and the noise was heard again, coming from the opposite side. Gathering what was left of her strength; Maura stood up, covered head to toe in mud, and squinted across the field to the burnt forest trees.

She sank in the mud up to her knees, resorting to crawling the last few meters to the tree line. Finally on the grass, she kept walking, away from the mud pit, away from the beach, away from the water that she would desperately need. She needed to find some shelter for a while, allow herself to get dry before going for food.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"How am I supposed to explore my surroundings without water?" Maura was back at the lake, except she was at a new part. The forest had led her back to safe drinking water, and from this angle she could barely see the newly christened mud pit. She sat on the beach, her front covered in mud, holding a large stick like a staff. She took a sharp rock that she had found amongst the stones on the beach, and began to whittle a point out of one end.

"I mean, this is a necessity. Water allows you to live, and I don't know what else is on this planet because I haven't seen any animals, and I've been here for almost 2 months." Maura spoke to herself as though she was speaking to an old friend. "I can't just leave the only source of water. It's not like I can dig a well and find some myself. Let's be serious here." She hummed a tune as she carved the wood faster.

"Maybe I could find a nice piece of wood that could act like a cup. Would that work? No probably not." She froze, realizing what she had just done. She was losing her mind, answering her own questions now. "I can't do that again, understand? No, this is just as bad."

The breaking of a branch startled her enough to turn around, looking into the bushes leading up to the forest wearily. She gripped the stick, holding it like a club, ready to attack whatever was coming. For all she knew, it was an indigenous person, offering help, or at least a decent meal. A grunt made her think otherwise, and at the first glance of a black course material, she screamed, beating the bush with the stick as hard as she could.

She jumped back, holding it like a spear, the towel around her shoulders, so thick with mud that it was stiff. A woman's face came out of the bush, looking just as dazed. Their eyes met for a second before the woman screamed, jumping out of the bush and holding a penknife.

"What the hell are you?!" This strange woman was wearing a regulation jumpsuit almost identical to her own, a different number of course, for a different unit.

"You came into my territory; I think you should be answering my questions." Maura pushed the point of the spear into the woman's gut, realizing she might look like a monster covered in mud. Her eyes must have looked blindingly white in contrast to her face.

"Since when is this your territory? My ship crashed here." The woman, although trying to acting boastful, still gripped the penknife tightly, a clear sign of a bluff. Maura lowered the spear, looking at her oddly.

"Where did yours crash?" She watched the brunette like a predator overlooked its prey, waiting for it to make a move. "I would've heard a crash if you landed anywhere in this vicinity within the past 58 or so days. Who or what are you?"

"Jane Rizzoli, acting officer, Unit 210 of the exploration brigade." She watched as _Jane_ looked her up and down, seeing recognition flash on her face as she scanned the number tag. "From Cealos, you know what that is, right?"

"From the heavens, yes. I know what you're talking about." Maura dug the spike in a little bit further, seeing the obvious sweat form on Jane's brow. "How do I know you really are from there?"

"You don't trust me? Come on, I've given you my identification, my name, my rank. What else do you want, a DNA sample?" Jane looked nervous, clammy. Maura removed the spear from her stomach as she felt a raindrop on her nose.

"OH COME ON!" She screamed, running back to the beach for her bag, uncaring that she had turned her back on a possible enemy. "THIS ISN'T FAIR YOU KNOW! I DESERVE TO GET AT LEAST ONE SHELTER THAT SURVIVES BEFORE YOU SEND ANOTHER FUCKING RAINSTORM!"

"Who are you talking to?" She turned quickly, seeing Jane standing behind her at an awfully close distance.

"Like I said, I've been here for almost 2 full months. The rain hasn't stopped for longer than a day. I haven't been able to make a decent shelter; I haven't been able to stay dry for more than 24 hours; I'm ready to kill something." She ran back under the trees, seeing lightning crack down in the middle of the lake. The bright crack illuminated Jane's face, and she studied the other woman's features momentarily, unsure how she was feeling at this point.

"Well come with me, I have a shelter built already and you're a medic, I could use some help." She turned and watched as Jane began to travel further into the forest. From the back, the jumpsuit was torn, shredded, as though she had gotten in a fight with a strong animal. She clutched the medical pack and spear, analyzing Jane's movements. "Well, are you coming?"

"How do I know you won't kill me when we get there, use me for extra meat or something along those lines?" Another crack of lightning caused Maura to follow her quickly, the sky darkening with every step. It was only midday, and she was hungry, yet the sky was dark enough to look like evening. She pulled more berries out of her pocket, these small and blue, and ate them quickly, the juice allowing the mud around her mouth to turn viscous again.

"Because I have food already." Jane turned to face her, tugging up the sleeve of her jumpsuit to show off a nasty looking gash on her forearm. It looked like Jane had been bitten by something vicious, the marks deep and red. Jane winced as she brushed back the cloth, gritting her teeth as Maura nodded solemnly. "Besides, I could use someone to watch out for me. I don't kill you, you don't kill me, deal?" She stuck out her hand, which was also raw and bleeding from an endless array of cuts and scrapes.

"Deal," Maura shook it quickly, the warmth of another human being passing through the thin coating of mud. It was an unfamiliar feeling, to touch another humanoid again, and yet it was welcome.

"Who are you?" Jane spoke abruptly, leading her deeper into the forest than she had been since she crashed.

"Maura Isles, acting medic, Unit 413 exploration brigade to the Milky Way galaxy to explore the unidentifiable planet with water and non-toxic atmosphere. Sole survivor of the crash."


	4. In Which A Conversation Is Held

**Thanks to Fyeah mayonnaise, I Wear The Crown, TheBoondocksRox, Vanilla-Apples-n-IslesP.T.S., and cuore-sportive for reviewing :D You people are awesome!**

**and Fyeah mayonnaise, I love Bradbury's stories. I'll take that as a compliment, and thank you for the mention :)**

**So... here's the fourth installment, enjoy!**

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Claps of thunder rolled across the sky, lightning dotting the heavens brighter than the stars. Huddled inside the shelter, Maura allowed the fire to warm her, enjoying the feeling of being completely dry for the first time in a long while. The little hideaway had a wall of stone beside the fire; the rest of the walls composed of logs, securely placed in the ground. She sipped water from a dented metal tin, surprised at how much had survived the initial impact of Jane's crash.

"So how long have you been on this planet?" She whispered, looking at her belongs in the corner of the hut. There was no wind piercing through the slots between the wood, no fire spreading towards the logs, and nothing that looked like it would collapse at any given second.

"I don't know. The nights and days just merge together. I only got to this area recently though. The rain doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother you." Jane sat beside her, eating canned peaches from a jar. Maura took more berries out of her pocket, knowing there were more on the bush right outside the small shelter. She squeezed the juice from them into her water before eating the crushed skins, sipping the liquid quietly as Jane continued. "I just remember landing in a colder place than this. I think the snow's going to eventual move here, and we should find an animal to skin before that happens."

"You've seen animals around here?" Maura's stomach growled, thinking of the last time she had eaten a good steak.

"Only chipmunks around here, but in the last place I slept near had deer, bears, mountain cats, everything." Jane pulled a blanket around her shoulders, the small fire burning brightly. "I just ran from there when I found out about the bear I was sharing a cave with."

"You never realized you were in the same place as a bear?" Maura pulled the towel closer to her, the jumpsuit stiff on her form. She sipped the water, smiling into her dented cup as Jane explained in detail what she had been doing until they had met. The brunette seemed like a colorful character, but her guard was still on edge.

"Grizzles back there was hibernating. It must be spring in this area, lucky for us. I don't have winter clothes, do you?" Jane offered her some of the canned peaches, but she declined, unsure of what chemicals had built up in the jar after so many months in storage.

"I only have the clothes on my back. The ship blew up on contact, and I literally flew through a ring of fire as I hit the water." Maura looked around the shelter, seeing the fur pelts covering the walls of the branches.

"Is that where the burns are from?" Jane ate more of the canned fruit, and Maura nodded, a hand immediately moving her neck. She rubbed the scars softly, unsure of what to say to that. "Sorry, if you don't want to talk about it."

"I haven't had anyone to talk about it with." Maura whispered, reaching over into the peaches can and nibbling on a slice, only noticing Jane watching her as she heard a small chuckle. "What?"

"You seemed to be having pretty good conversations with yourself." Jane grinned, rubbing her bruised arm from Maura's soft punch. "And hey, talking to yourself is better than discussing survival modes with dinner. Do you know much I had discussions with the rabbits I caught?"

"Well, rabbits are a sustainable source of protein, but pound for pound, insects have more protein." Maura nibbled on another peach slice, her eyes moving from the fire to the look of disbelief on Jane's face. "Now what?"

"I'll eat a pound of bugs, when you eat a pound of bugs." Maura crinkled her nose at the thought of eating insects, how big they seemed to be in her area of the forest. Jane's laugh brought her back to the fire, looking up at the dark features of the taller woman. She was very attractive, and so far had a good sense of humor. Jane seemed protective, and if this alliance they had forged would last, she'd have someone watching over her. It was a nice feeling, for someone to have her back after two months alone.

"Eating insects sounds less than pleasant. I would much prefer some coq-au-vin right about now, but these peaches seem to be just as good." Maura smiled as Jane laughed again. The peaches were watery, tasteless and had a tint of metal to them, but overall, she didn't notice. She was much too focused on the stories Jane was beginning to tell about her life back home.

"Am I talking too much?" Jane tossed the empty can aside, pulling a blanket further around her shoulders. "You've just been so quiet and here I am, refusing to shut up."

"It's fine, your stories are more interesting than anything I could ever say." Maura yawned, the warmth of the fire starting to lull her to sleep. It was strange to be sleeping in warmth, instead of curling in fetal position on wet ground.

"I doubt that. You've told me the scientific names of almost every plant outside this little hut, and the names of the animal skins I have here. Are you a genius or something?" Jane offered her a flask of water, but Maura shook her head.

"I guess you could say that…" Maura smiled into her own flask of water as Jane nudged her.

"Why didn't you tell me this? We could've used your smarts to build a natural fuel rocket or something." Jane yawned as well, noticing the fire was beginning to die out.

"Because even if we did manage to build a rocket, we wouldn't have sufficient oxygen storage for the trip back." Maura closed her eyes, leaning her head on Jane's shoulder, dropping the towel around her as she stretched out her arms. "It's so nice not to sleep on wet mud."

"I'm glad you think I'm better than mud." Jane whispered, tossing sand onto the fire, the last few flames sputtering out. "Why don't you lie down, it's probably more comfortable."

Maura nodded, sitting up and cracking her knuckles as Jane spread out the towel like a sheet on a bed. The tall brunette lay down on it, the blanket half covering her. "Are you going to lie down?"

"You don't mind us sleeping together?" Maura settled softly beside Jane, pulling the blanket over the both of them. Jane held her softly, and she felt warm between her arms, her head lying serenely on Jane's chest.

"Well we only did just meet, and it we're in the middle of the forest." Jane chuckled as Maura punched her gently.

"Sex releases immunoglobulin A, it wards off colds. It would be better if we engaged in sex here because this would be the worst place possible to get sick." Maura blushed, realizing what she just said, hearing an owl hoot in the darkness. "Wow, you really can hear the nature out here."

"Yeah, the birdcalls are soothing. It's when they stop tweeting when it gets creepy. It's so quiet sometimes." Jane yawned again, hugging Maura a little bit tighter. "We should probably sleep now; I still need to fortify the base of this tomorrow."

"Alright." Maura whispered. "Goodnight Jane."

"Night"


	5. In Which They Get Rid Of The Mud

**Much Thanks To ShadowCub, cuore-sportivo, I Wear The Crown, TheBoondocksRox, Fyeah mayonnaise, and lovely-j22 for the awesome reviews :) Love you guys. **

**And thanks to the wonderful people following this story.**

**Have a great week everyone :)**

**Update* Alright, so when I write, I tend to put footnotes at the end of a chapter... and clearly I forgot to delete them this time... so to all who actually saw the rough plot that I had, it's been changed... Apologies for the beginner mistake... **

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"Good morning sleepyhead." Maura blinked her eyes at the unusually sunny light poking through the bristles on the trees. Jane was standing upright, her jumpsuit's sleeves pulled up to her elbows, mud caked up her forearms, clearly solidifying the base of the small shelter. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have my entire time here." Maura looked across the masses of thick trunks for any signs of edible food, preferably the tangy berries that she had been snacking on. Her stomach rumbled, alerting both of them to the sudden need for a substantial meal. "How long have you been doing this for?"

"Long enough. This thing isn't going anywhere. If the mud gets wet with the rain, it'll just fill in the cracks, and lower the rocks a bit" Jane rubbed her hands together, brushing the dark strands of hair away from her face. Trails of mud were streaking on her cheeks, and Maura looked down at the mud-stained suit, the two looking almost identical covered by it. "Anyways, the lake is only a few minutes down that way; we should head towards it, see if we can get clean, or find food."

Maura nodded, looking at the little tarp in front of the entrance hole. Jane lifted a string from it, placing it until a large, rust-colored rock. She didn't say anything about the chances of animals coming to eat the food because there seemed to be no signs of animal life in this area of the forest, save for the birds. Jane grabbed her by the jumpsuit's sleeve, pulling her away from the little shelter and out of the thicket of trees. The familiar lakeshore scene was spread out in front of them, the sun high in the sky and blinding against the water.

"It's so beautiful without the storm clouds." Maura froze on the grassy area, still as Jane wandered into the sandbar, immediately shedding the muddy jumpsuit and wading into the crystal water. "Jane, what are you doing?!"

"I'm cleaning off, in case you didn't notice, I was covered in mud!" Jane called back, diving under the water's surface. Maura rolled her eyes, running onto the sand strip as well, picking up the jumpsuit. She waited for Jane to emerge, digging her foot into the sand.

"Jane, you're not being funny." Maura reluctantly stripped out of the jumpsuit, debating about going into the water with trackpants and a t-shirt when Jane popped out of the lake, gasping for breath, brushing her hair back away from her face. Maura blushed, noticing that the woman wasn't wearing much underneath; only clad in black tank-top from her vantage point.

"Well I thought I was a riot." Jane called to her, waving for her to get in the water. "Come on, you're covered in mud, it's time to clean off a bit. Just toss the clothes in a pile." Jane dove back until the rippling waves, Maura seeing her faint outline in the clear pool.

She pulled off the trackpants, tossing her shirt in the pile of clothes on the beach and wading into the water in her undergarments, shivering at the coolness of it. "It's freezing in here!" She called to Jane, unmoving under the waves as she went in further, the water hitting her chest. She nearly jumped out of the lake when Jane appeared in front of her, grinning like an idiot.

"It warms up once you start swimming," Jane cupped water in her hands, tossing it onto Maura's face, laughing at the reaction. "You still have a little mud on your face," Jane wiped a spot on her own face, expecting Maura to mirror her, not toss water at her as well.

"Yes, it seems you do to," Maura giggled, washing her face free of the mud, glad to have the weight off it. Looking down into the water; seeing plenty of marine life under her feet. What she could assume were a herd of freshwater crabs were heading towards the two. "I never realized this planet was so full of life."

"That's because you've been stuck in that one mud pit for so long, you haven't really experienced this place." Jane grinned, shoving Maura backwards a bit so that she fell into the water, emerging with wet hair plastered to her back. She lunged forward for the tall brunette, jumping at a pain in her foot as she looked down at the rock she had bumped against. Falling forward into the water, she opened her eyes in the lake, staring directly at Jane's solid abdominal muscles. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the sight of it, seeing Jane's arms extend to her and pull her out of the water.

"I guess, but just look in the water. The crustaceans and aquatic life you can see extend so far out. Just open your eyes." Maura took a deep breath, and pulled Jane under the current, widening her eyes at the colored fish that were passing in the distance. At the bottom of the lake, a bit further out, she could distinctly see purple seaweed, pointing it out to Jane. The minnows swirled around their heads quickly, before disappearing. On the floor of the lake were dozens upon dozens of shimmering rocks of every color.

"It's so much nicer underwater. Why can't we just live there?" Jane gasped for breath as they emerged, both women panting.

"Because humans never evolved to adapt to gills. Otherwise, I would agree. Aquatic life is stunning." Maura grabbed onto Jane as the taller woman pulled her further into the lake, clinging onto Jane's back as she swam. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know, just relaxing a bit. After so much rain, it's nice to enjoy a sunny, warm day." Jane quickly flipped on her back, Maura now floating in the water above her. "And the view from here is pretty nice to."

Maura blushed furiously, trying to avert eye contact with Jane, focusing instead on a particularly bright blue stone in the water.

"Seriously, look at me," Jane tilted her face so the women were staring at each other, plain as day. "You really are attractive. And if I'm being too forward, I would like to remind you that you were the one that suggested sex last night." She grinned at Maura's blushing. "And we are the only people on this planet, so far. We could try something out?"

"Well, that would be enjoyable." Maura smiled at Jane's broad grin. "But what exactly would happen if it didn't work out?"

"You take one half of the planet, and I'll take the other." Jane grabbed her quickly, kissing her softly in the cool water. She fingered Jane's abs lightly, feeling a slight murmur from the woman as she did so. Pulling away from the taller woman, she blushed furiously, distracting herself with the large cut on Jane's arm.

"Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to come in the water with such a large incision," Maura spoke, noticing how it looked less inflamed as it had yesterday. Looking back at Jane's face, she noticed the dopey smile. "What?"

"You don't have much of a filter do you? Or is this just ADD or something?" Jane laughed, tugging Maura underwater, holding her wrists as they opened their eyes. Looking at the lake floor, she noticed how deep it suddenly had become. The floor had seemed to drop out from under them, and she pulled Jane back to where they could see the sparkling rocks. Jumping out of the water, hair wild and wet, they looked at each before laughing.

Before saying anything, Jane dived back into the clear water, Maura staying still on the top, enjoying the clear view of the lake. Looking up at the bright blue sky, she could see a few clouds puttering in the distance. It would rain later, that was for sure, but for now it was entirely possible to enjoy the moment. Shrieking loudly, she was lifted into the air on Jane's shoulders as the other woman popped out of the water, laughing. Maura leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Jane's head before she realized what had happened.

"Did I scare you?" Jane laughed, sinking slowly back into the water, Maura still clinging to her.

"What makes you say that?" She spoke clearly, still a bit shaken.

"Maybe it was the way you screamed when I lifted you, or when you nearly snapped my head off when you grabbed it." Jane let Maura off her back, wading back into the shallow water. Only now, Maura noticed the bright purple rock she was holding. "Anyways, I got you a rock."

"Oh, I wish it was a diamond," Maura laughed, taking the tennis ball sized stone in her hands, examining its smooth surface. There were no visible cracks she could see, but she felt the shooting pain in her finger, looking down at the fresh cut. "Where did that come from?"

Jane grabbed it, looking at it the same way. "No idea. Maybe there was something on it that you brushed off?"

"Maybe," She shivered, noticing the cool wind interrupting the beating sunlight. "It's going to rain later; we should start drying off now."

Jane nodded, taking her hand as they waded out of the water, the forest now alive with birds. Stepping onto the beach, sand clinging to their legs and feet, they walked in perfect silence to the jumpsuits and clothes. Without thinking, Maura grabbed Jane's shirt, slipping into it effortless. She glanced up, seeing Jane look at her baggy t-shirt before sliding it on as well. Back in civilian was an odd feeling. After two months in the jumpsuit, the soft clothing was more comfortable.

Jane picked up both jumpsuits, dipping them in the water to clean off any mud before returning back. Both women tugged on the steel toed boots, heading back into the greenery of the forest. "Are you still hungry?"

Maura had completely forgotten about the hunger pains until Jane mentioned it. She looked around, spying one of the familiar berry bushes, and tugging Jane over. She plucked a few of the large blueberries, biting into them happily. "Well, not anymore."

"How do you know these aren't toxic," Jane hesitantly took a few berries, sniffing them before eating.

"Well, the leaves show no indication of poison. To avoid an allergic reaction, you crush them; rub them between elbow and wrist and wait about 8 hours." Maura snacked on a few more, smiling at the flavour. "Then you do the same, rubbing the juice on your lips instead, and if no reaction happens, they should be safe."

"Your smarts will definitely save us out here." Jane popped a few berries, nodding to Maura's convictions. "They taste like blueberries, blackberries and cantaloupe mixed into one."

"They taste delicious. I've been living on them for a while, with a bit of fish." Maura gathered a few to put in her pocket, taking Jane's hand again. "We should go hunting for something."

"We need a spear first, not just the stuff in your medical kit." Jane grinned, watching Maura's enthusiasm.

"Then let's make a spear."


	6. In Which Novelty Wears Off

**Hello everyone :) how are you all? Many thanks to Fyeah mayonnaise, ShadowCub, supergirl007, cuore-sportivo, and lovely-J22 (thanks for catching my mistake. I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise.). I appreciate all the feedback, and commentary and thanks for reading this story :)**

**Apologies for any mistakes in this chapter, spelling, grammar, and the like. **

**So with the large break on this story, well it's back. So I hope you continue to enjoy reading it :) have a wonderful weekend.**

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Claps of thunder rolled across the sky, the wind threatening to destroy the little wooden shelter, but the mud holding it upright. The waning fire was keeping both women warm inside it, fish slowly cooking over the open flame, both were almost full. Maura leaned her head on Jane's shoulder, listening to the improbable ghost stories that the taller woman was whispering to her. The absurdity of the tales, perhaps combined with the unbelievable situation they were both in was making her sleepy.

"Are you tired?" Jane whispered, and she nodded, yawning softly. She scooped the berries out of the metal bowl into her hands, nibbling on them softly. It was getting restless in the forest now, more birds were out chirping. Maura couldn't help but sense an ease in the air, as though the storm had passed. "Do you want to go to sleep now?"

"I could keep listening to you for a bit longer. I can't believe we didn't hunt for anything today after all the work put into making the spears." Maura spoke clearly, a swift call from a bird cutting her off.

"That's the way of nature, sometimes you catch stuff, and sometimes you don't. Then we all die and no one knows we're missing." Jane's voice was soft and she felt a soft hand enclose hers.

"I'm sure people know we're missing, we've been here long enough," Maura sat up fully, her eyes hazy from drowsiness. She looked at Jane, the other woman lost in thought.

"They know our co-ordinates, why hasn't there been a rescue ship? Why didn't sensors activate once the ships blew up?" Jane reached into Maura's hand, taking the especially large berries and eating them slowly, deliberately chewing each piece slowly. "Maybe they think we're all dead and there's no point coming here."

"It's a possibility. We've both been here for close to 2 months without seeing each other and the fact that we did was pure luck." Maura chuckled softly. "But I had been living in an open field of mud that was scorched, so I would've wandered into the forest eventually. Although, I doubt I would've wandered as far north as you did."

"Well now you're stuck with me." Jane nudged her playfully, and she grinned, shoving her back.

"That's a good thing Jane," She yawned again, the aroma of the cooked fish beginning to fill the little shelter. Jane took the metal rod off it, yelping at the burning warmth of the metal and dropping it onto the dirty floor with a thud. Maura swaddled her hand in a cloth that Jane had in her pack, picking up the fish slowly and taking a bite out of it. "Not bad, a bit tasteless, but good." Taking another large bite, she offered it to Jane, whose hand the wooden jug of lake water.

Jane nibbled at the fish, making a face but continuing to eat. The crackling of the fire filled the empty air, the warm pulsating from it a welcome change from the nippy air outside. Slowly, but sure enough the patter of rain began to pelt on the wood, making a thwack with every hit. The women looked at each other, waiting for the inevitable clap of thunder. The first rumble made them both smile; storms were expected. Thunder and lightning roared across the sky like a blitzkrieg, shaking the ground with every loud hit. Maura curled towards Jane a bit more, taking small bites of the fish that Jane refused to eat.

She smeared berry juice on the meat, nibbling again, her head on Jane's shoulder, both women staring at the purple stone wrapped in the towel on the side of the shelter. Maura had already wrapped her cut, but Jane still needed treatment for the large wound and now burn. She swallowed the last of the fish, grabbing the medical pack and unwinding medical bandages, lathering salve on both and dressing them appropriately.

Another sudden strike made the ground shake under them, Maura's heart leaping into her throat as she felt it. Tightening the bandages more than she intended, she huffed, unwrapping Jane's arm and dressing it again, her hands trembling with every movement. The jug of the lake water was now hanging in the corner, made of a make-shift piece of wood they had found, and Jane had hollowed out. She reached up, sticking her hand into it and washing the salve from the edges of the bandages.

"Relax Maura, it's just another storm out here, it'll roll away. With all this rain, there won't be another fire." Her hands instinctively went to her neck at the mention of a large scale blaze, but she moved them away as quickly.

"The thunder has never been enough to shake the ground before. I'm just worried that this area might have harsher storms then these." Maura stayed stoic as Jane's arms came around her, both of them watching the fire dwindling in front of their eyes. She didn't say anything as Jane rubbed her arms gently.

"It'll be fine. Tomorrow, we can go in a bit deeper, maybe a little further south if you want." Jane looked around the shelter, thinking of how to pack up all the open containers into a medical pack. "I bet you miss your silk robe right about now."

"Don't get me started; these jumpsuits are too itchy and uncomfortable." Maura yawned, listening as the war raged on outside. "I wish I had a change of pajamas out here, not just animal skin." Maura stopped Jane's words, both lying out on an animal hide that Jane had killed before this area, the towel acting as a blanket.

"Why don't we just sleep now and you can forget about these itchy jumpsuits?" Jane tossed sand from her pockets onto the fire to douse it quicker, the last few flames puttering out quickly and quietly. Maura lay out on the hide, the soft fur comfortable against her skin. Jane put an arm around her, holding her tightly.

The rain thudded onto the wood while lightning and thunder waged war against each other, and she felt Jane go limp, aware of her now unconscious form. Maura tried to sleep, unable to see much in front of her anyway; yet she felt the ground for vibrations or rumbles. As her eyelids began drooping, she heard the same shrill scream from a few nights back, jarring her brains so much that she opened them quickly, listening as it passed from north to south far from them, clearly not venturing into the forest. The ground shook violently as though a car was passing over close to them, and Maura tightened her grip on Jane's hand around her waist, closing her eyes tightly.

She evened out her breathing, trying to keep everything in check, pretending that she was back home on her planet, not needing to worry about any of this.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"You really like to sleep, don't you?" Maura emerged from the shelter again to bright sunlight and muddy ground. Jane smiled at her, mud up the length of her arms, atop the bandages, and on her neck. "I heard a noise last night, but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming. It was coming from behind us; I thought we could check it out, if it wasn't too far away."

"Do you have any idea its location?" Maura nodded her thanks as Jane tossed her a cloth of berries, eating the fruit slowly.

"No, but it's still the morning, and you know sun positions well enough. We could just travel in a straight line until its noon or something and then head back." Jane shrugged, looking around the berry bush. "Besides, we need a new source of these things; we've eaten half the bush already. Too bad they don't give us powers or something. How's your hand?"

"It's fine, the cut was nothing." Maura looked through the trees to see the sun's position. "We could head out now if you'd like."

"Let's get going. Bring the spear; let's see if we can find more food." Maura smiled, her cheeks turning a ruby red as Jane gave her a quick kiss, their hands touching for a second before Jane took the wooden sticks, handing one to Maura. "You did say you wanted French chicken for dinner."


	7. In Which A Loop Is Found

**Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated recently, I've had a lot on my plate with school and family issues. **

**So a sincere thanks to everyone still with this story and a major thank you to cuore-sportivo, ShadowCub, Lovely-J22, F-yeah mayonnaise, guest, Saint73, and TheBoondocksRox for the wonderful reviews :) **

**I saw the cliché coming, and kinda changed it, hopefully it worked out well. I'll try to update within the week, and until then, have a wonderful week everyone! **

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"I wouldn't think that the forest would get this thick," Jane huffed as the two trudged through the wood. The dampness from the recent rainfall had them both sweating through their jumpsuits, the climate noticeably hotter as they continued deeper into the deciduous forest.

"I didn't expect it to be so warm," Maura's jumpsuit zipper was already down to mid-chest, the hot air clinging to her skin. They trudged further through the large mud pits; Maura began to see a few wild animals, a chipmunk here, a fat rat there. A large animal crossed their path that looked like a snake-turtle hybrid, and apart from the initial fear, the women froze, unsure if it was poisonous or not.

"Can you tell if that thing is dangerous?" Jane hissed at her, pressed against a tree trunk as the creature slithered towards them, flicking a forked tongue softly.

"Not by physical traits." Maura felt her heart beat faster as the creature slithered over her foot and used its beady eyes to look up at Jane. She nearly thought that her hand would break as Jane gripped it tightly, watched as the hybrid barred it's fangs and slithered away without so much as a nip. Jane glanced at her, shaking horribly, but pulled her along anyways, keeping a steady pace as they trekked on.

"That was weird. I've never seen those snakes in this area before." Jane whispered, hearing a low echo of thunder from the distance. "Great… we're getting another rain fall."

"This area in general seems to be full of rain showers, even though we really are in a North American climate. The weather patterns aren't consistent with the trees and plant life in the area." Maura grabbed Jane's arm as they began to steadily go up a rather large hill, both struggling to find footing on the mud and grass.

Jane clung to whatever stray roots that were sticking out of the mud, Maura still clinging to her arm like it was a climbing rope. Maura almost lost her footing twice, falling flat on her face and nearly bringing Jane with her. "Maura, come on, get a hold of yourself. This arm is just beginning to heal, I can't dislocate the shoulder."

"Sorry," Maura wiped the mud from her mouth and nose with her free hand, before plunging it into the mud to get a grip onto the ground. She gritted her teeth as she saw Jane stand upright, pulling herself over the last leg of the hill and her jaw dropped.

"There's another lake here?" Jane stepped onto the beach, and before either could so anything, they heard the same screeching that had been haunting them before, although it seemed to be coming from the direction they had just emerged from. "Run," Jane grabbed her hand, tugging her into the lake and shoving her head under the water without a chance to breathe. Jane's face appeared in front of hers, and her lungs began to burn sharply from the lack of oxygen.

Her face stuck out of the water, inhaling deeply before diving back in, and both waited until their lungs gave out before standing up, the water as high as their necks. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I don't think we're any closer to finding it." Maura shivered; the climate different now. A cold wind was blowing in, and she watched Jane's shoulders rise in an effort to keep warm. "I think this is the same beach as before.

"Impossible, we've been walking past noon, and in a straight line, this is different," Jane sat on the beach, trembling from the cold as Maura walked around in the sand.

"It's the same, this is the rock that fell out of my pocket the last time we were here," Maura leaned down at the purple stone, looking up in the distance at the all too familiar mud-pit in the distance. "And that's the mud pit that I slept in before. This is the berry bush. If we walk a bit further, I can probably show you the hollowed chamber I slept in before. We're at the same lake."

"Maura," She turned sharply at Jane's call, looking at the trees in the distance. "Come here,"

"What?" Maura went to Jane's side, looking through the large bush to see a forest where they had emerged, no dip in the land, no muddy hillside; only a relatively smooth line of trees and brambles." Maura reached into the forest, as if to test for a screen, but her hand hit the nearest bramble and she jumped in pain at the fresh wound.

She stepped into the forest, gripping Jane's hand but nothing happened. The ground didn't fall out beneath her feet, and the tree she was touching was still under her hand. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," Jane looked at her wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. "We walked through that forest… and we were both covered in mud. It couldn't have disappeared,"

"It didn't disappear, it just, rerouted us. It's like the forest has a mind of its own." Maura whispered, the gears in her head spinning quickly. "I think someone knows we're here." She whispered softly, looking at Jane with her face dead-pan.

"Explain," They headed back in the path towards the shelter, Jane stopping to gather berries at the familiar bushes.

"I've heard of things like this before, back home. It's called a loop, and most people think it's paranormal, but I don't think the entire forest is haunted." Maura spoke in a hushed tone, noticing the abundance of life now in the forest. Animals were crossing their path, stopping to look at them every so often before continuing. "I've heard that screeching sound before I met up with you, and it's not a ghostly voice, it's very real."

"I know it's real, are you going to tell me what it is?" Jane handed her the berries, Maura snacking on their hungrily.

"It's a probe, I'm convinced of that. Whatever is here is scouting us, watching us because we've interrupted their life cycle. They're probing us to see if we're threats or not, maybe they even had to do with the ships exploding on the surface." Maura felt the berry juice dribble down her chin.

"They've done a great job hiding themselves." Jane sat in front of the shelter after getting a blanket from inside it, Maura drawing something in the dirt in front of them.

"It means that they're a very intelligent life force. I don't know what the probe looks like but this is a map of our surroundings, based on what we've experienced. The climate change must've been caused by the loop. Whatever inhabits this place knows how to bend space and time to curve our path back to the lake. They don't want us to find them until they're ready." Maura rambled quickly; looking at Jane to make sure the brunette was catching up with everything.

"Anyways, if they know we're here, they must be planning something because we might've interrupted them if we did travel in a straight line. I don't know how we're alive really, if these people are taking so long to figure out what do with us, they won't kill us yet… However, I'm afraid of what's coming." Maura bit her lip.

"What do you mean? Are these things going to jump out of our chest?" Jane looked at her, grabbing one of Maura's shaking hands.

"No, we'd have realized if an egg the size of a fire hydrant went into our bodies. But, we might be subject to experimentation, test subjects to disease, slaves of any kind really." Maura crawled quickly into Jane's arms, feeling fearful for the first time on this planet. "Anything could happen."

"Calm down, it'll be ok." Jane rubbed her shoulder gently. A clap of thunder broke her eardrums as a torrent of rain burst down on their already wet forms. "Let's just go inside now and wait out the rainstorm, maybe do something worth our time? You did mention that immune-whatever stuff before."

"Yes, that sounds like a wonderful suggestion," Maura grinned, kissing her quickly, her inner nerves slowly untying as Jane kissed her back in the warmth of the shelter.


End file.
